FEDERAL AGENCY:

OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH, DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

AUTHORIZATION:

Public Law 79-588, 10 U.S.C. 5150-5153; Public Law 87-651, 10 U.S.C. 2358, as amended; Public Law 97-86, 31 U.S.C. 6304.

OBJECTIVES:

To support basic and applied research at educational or research institutions, which has a potential for leading to the improvement of naval operations, and to support training and stimulation of future researchers in science and engineering disciplines.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Project Grants. Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

Basic and applied research in the physical, mathematical, environmental, engineering and life sciences providing knowledge necessary for the Navy to make informed decisions about further exploratory development to provide the technology base from which naval capabilities are drawn. Partial support of symposia in the listed disciplines. Programs to encourage careers in science and engineering by supporting outstanding graduate, undergraduate and high school students pursuing studies in areas of naval concern. Programs to increase science and engineering graduates from under-represented minority groups. Programs providing means for universities to buy major, high-cost research equipment.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   Private/public educational institutions; other private/public nonprofit organizations which are operated primarily for scientific, educational, or similar purposes in the public interest, and are not organized primarily for profit. Grants cannot be awarded to individuals. Eligibility requirements for Office of Naval Research's (ONR) training and research instrumentation/ equipment programs are also described in the ONR publication "Guide to Programs".

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Private/public educational institutions; other private/public nonprofit organizations which are operated primarily for scientific, educational or similar purposes in the public interest, and are not organized primarily for profit. Grants cannot be awarded to individuals.

Credentials/Documentation:   Costs will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular Nos. A-21, A-87, A-88, and A-122 and Subpart 31.2 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation applicable to commercial firms and those nonprofits exempted from OMB Circular No. A-122. The administrative requirements of OMB Circular Nos. A-102, A-110, A-128 and A-133 apply. Patents, inventions and rights in technical data and computer software are subject to 48 CFR 227 and 252, as amended, and 37 CFR 401.14.

Pre-application Coordination:   This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   This program is subject to OMB Circular No. A-110. All eligible private/public educational institutions and other private/public nonprofit organizations may submit proposals in response to the relevant Broad Agency Announcement published annually in the Federal Business Opportunities (www.fedbizopps.gov) Information regarding areas of scientific interest and points of contact is contained in the ONR "Guide to Programs". Application and award procedures for ONR's training and research instrumentation/equipment programs is also contained in separate brochures describing these programs.

Award Procedure:   Award decisions will be based on a competitive selection of proposals resulting from a peer and/or scientific review. Evaluations will use the criteria contained in the relevant Broad Agency Announcement. If selected for award, the proposal is incorporated into a grant document and the applicant agrees to perform the research described therein.

Deadlines:   Proposals may be submitted at any time during a year period from the date of publication of the Broad Agency Announcement in the Commerce Business Daily.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   Awards may be made at any time throughout the year for which funding is authorized.

Appeals:   None.

Renewals:   Reapplication with new proposal is permitted.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   This program has no statutory formula.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Funding will reflect period of performance and may be awarded incrementally.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Grantee is expected to publish or otherwise make results of work publicly available. Copies of reports are furnished by the grantee to a prescribed list of addressees (as set forth in the grant), which includes the Defense Technical Information Center. Subsequent distribution to DoD agencies and their contractors is made by DTIC on a request basis.

Audits:   In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records:   Each grantee will maintain accounting records which will permit determination that the funds were used for the grant purposes.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   17-1319-0-1-051 (Office of Naval Research).

Obligations:   (Grants) FY 01 $470,000,000; FY 02 est $480,000,000; and FY 03 est $480,000,000.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  
$5,000 - $20,000,000; mean=$500,000; median=$300,000.

In fiscal year 2001, 1,200 new grants were awarded. In fiscal year 2002, it is estimated that 1,200 new grants will be awarded.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

ONR website http://www.our.navy.mil. This site lists the points of contact within the various scientific disciplines.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   Not applicable.

Headquarters Office:  
(ONR Code 22) Office of Naval Research, 875 North Randolph Street, Arlington, Virginia 22203 Email: onr22@onr.navy.mil Phone: 703-696-4601

Web Site Address:  
http://www.onr.navy.mil

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

1. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), and Minority Institutions (MI) Pilot Program to increase minorities trained at graduate level in mathematics, computer science, and the physical sciences; 2. partial funding of symposia on various areas of scientific research of interest to the Navy; 3. cooperative research associateship program, to provide post-doctoral scientists opportunities for research on problems compatible with the research interests of the sponsoring laboratories furthering research on problems of interest to the Navy; 4. providing funds to universities for a multidisciplinary program to provide new knowledge in science and engineering critical to defense technologies, to improve quality of defense research conducted at universities, and to strengthen the numbers and quality of students trained in science and engineering; and 5. research by a university laboratory on preservation of blood platelets in blood bank storage by freeze-drying.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

1. Overall scientific, technical or socio-economic merits of the proposal; 2. potential contributions of the effort to the agency's specific mission; 3. the offeror's capabilities, related experience, facilities, techniques or unique combinations of these, which are integral factors for achieving the proposal objectives; 4. the qualifications, capabilities and experience of the proposed principal investigator, team leader or key personnel who are critical in achieving the proposal objectives; 5. realism of the proposed cost and availability of funds; and 6. the extent to which the cost effectiveness of the proposed research is diminished by expenditures for unproductive administrative and other overhead expenses. Academic institutions are especially encouraged to participate.